Assessment of Human Impact on a Sacred Grove in Jhargram District, West Bengal, India

摘要

The concept of sacred grove has long been interlinked with nature. Various cultural aspects such as religion, faith, traditional belief bring people closer to nature and the natural environment. In this regard, the floristic diversity of the Orgonda Mahakal Bhairab sacred grove in Jhargram district of West Bengal, India was investigated. Floristic analysis revealed that a total of 73 species belonging to 70 genera and 34 families were observed in the sacred grove. The questionnaire with local inhabitants on human impact of sacred grove biodiversity revealed that more urbanization, encroachment and modernization were the main causes for the loss of biodiversity.